Shiro's POV

I came face to face with a large grey gate. I was ready to give a knock, but before I could I was frozen by Ichigo's Reiatsu. It multiplied well beyond five times than the level it had been at before. But that wasn't what surprised me.

Ichigo's power, released at full force, would be nearly fifty times the amount given off by a captain. So, his still remained relatively low. But it was how his changed in just a few seconds that had me worried greatly. Ichigo's Reiatsu vanished and had been replaced with a much higher presence, one filled with anger, wickedness and emptiness.

A Hollow had appeared.

'Shiro! Please help me!'

Ichigo. He was calling me.

That was it. The last straw. Whoever took him was dead. NOW.

I prepared to kick down the gate, but was stopped when the presence had appeared directly behind me. All of my other senses were dulled by pain. I looked down at the black stained red katana that protruded through my chest. My oxygen had been cut off from a mixture of my punctured throat and the blood that now clogged it.

Using the last of my strength, I took hold of the blade and turned my head around to face him.

'Ichigo, now it's my turn to take the hit for you.'

I smiled, not a grin or a smirk, I gave him a real smile. And that was all there was to it.

Ichigo's POV

Useless scum. I'd kill every last one of them.

The girls died first. It didn't even take me a second to cut their heads from their bodies. Iana remained, grinning, laughing as I did the most utterly boring thing in the world.

Yuzu and Karin, they were already unconscious, where would be the fun in that? But I did it anyways. People so weak didn't deserve to live.

They were all boring. Useless. Weak.

I left the house immediately following their deaths.

My plan was to go to the Seireitei, but then something amazing caught my eye. A Hollow, maybe two or three time my power, stood outside a gate. I accepted such a challenge immediately and appeared behind him with my sword already out.

He was dying, we both knew it. But just as he was about to collapse, he did the most interesting thing. He grabbed my sword, so I couldn't run off, turned around and smiled.

I heard him speak, yet his mouth did not move. 'Ichigo, now it's my turn to take the hit for you.'

Ichigo. Was he talking to me? Was Ichigo my name? Now that I thought about it I don't even remember if I had a name.

I let go of my sword and the man fell. I gazed down at my hands, for the first time noticing the claws atop my fingers. This was me... but for some reason it just didn't feel right!

I thrashed about furiously, trying to keep images from another life out of my head. I found my hand at the base of my throat searching for something, but I didn't know what. When I came across my mask, I took hold of it. Was this what I was searching for?

I let out a furious roar and ripped the mask from my face. It shattered along with the claws and the tail that I had grown. I could almost remember something... I could almost taste the memories on my lips.

I could remember a voice calling me to free him and promising that he'd protect me. I could feel his arms around me as he saved me from death so many times. I could taste his sweet lips as they pressed against mine or on my forehead or on my hand... my frost bitten hand...

Oh god. What have I done!?

I fell to my knees at the sight of his body. It was my sword that stained his pure white being red. I reached out to touch his face and gasped when I found his skin to be so cold. I did my best to muffle the sobs that so longingly wished to be released. I placed my fingers over his eyes and closed them.

I could hear her footsteps as she walked out from the house. "Funny how the mighty can fall so easily," Iana said. I could sense her smirk. "By the way, you've officially just murdered my clan, your sisters and your fellow Head Captain. No power will get you out of this one Kurosaki. You're going straight back to that cell, where I'm going to-"

"Do you really think that I'm going to allow that?"

My eyes opened wide. "Dad!"

"Ichigo," he greeted.

"Your son murdered your daughters Isshin, and he's responsible for the death of your wife twice now."

I should have felt upset, guilty, sad, depressed... but all I could feel was anger. Inside me there was a monster clawing his way out to the surface. It was filling my blood with rage and my body with power, but I kept it suppressed. The key was control, and I'd use mine to release this monster only at the exact moment I needed it most.

"That's enough of your lies," my dad half growled. He was surprisingly serious. "Masaki's death never was Ichigo's fault. Among the living she loved Ichigo so much she would die for him, and that is exactly what happened. And here she and I were only working to help Ichigo escape the vile treatment he was under, never otherwise."

The long ago gained sorrow in my heart vanished with just those simple words. Mom only was trying to protect me, and she took the blow that'd kill. And, I guess, I do the exact same thing. I take the front blow for my friends, so they wouldn't have to.

I glanced at Shiro. He did the same thing for me that I'd do for him.

"Beneath the Kurosaki household, we each made a silent vow. We'd die just for a chance to allow the others to continue on. Masaki understood that the most, and now Ichigo understands that too." My dad finally caught my eye, but the look he gave me represented a warning.

"Enough of this bull shit." Iana's own Zanpakuto was finally revealed just mere seconds before it was sent flying through my dad's stomach. He smiled at me, signaling my next move. Dad grabbed Iana's sword and her arm which positioned her wide open for my attack.

Feeling it would be wrong to tear my own Zanpakuto from Shiro's chest, I lifted his off the ground. At my touch it activated Bankai and shined a bright white. I allowed the monster to break through its confinement and show itself through my anger. I gave Iana the best glare I held before Shiro's blade sliced clean through her body from shoulder to hip.

I dropped to my knees and slammed my fists into the ground. My anger was still at its peak and a loud pained cry escaped from lips. I lost everything. EVERYTHING! My sisters, my dad, my peace, and my everything. I lost my love. I lost the one person who remained by my side no matter what. I lost my heart. I lost my Shiro.

Two hands appeared on my shoulders. I assumed they belonged to one of the captains, probably Jushiro. There were no words, just the simple touch of hands that tried to comfort me. Well, it honestly wasn't working... much.

Then I heard it. The faintest of a chuckle. The softest of a laugh. I spun around and instantly placed my lips against theirs, shoving their entire frame against the ground. My fingers laced with theirs, both of us squeezing fiercely. Relief washed over my entire body. Everything else just disappeared and all that remained was peace.